News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

A host of film, television and entertainment industry professionals recently lent their support to the fourth-annual L.A. Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People, including a budding film-maker from Templepatrick.

Rachel McClure (19) was one of nine lucky participants who travelled to Los Angeles to participate in film screenings and workshops with H.B.O., 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros and many more.

A highlight of the festival for Rachel was meeting Academy Award winning film music composer Hans Zimmer and presenting him with a Cinemagic award for his outstanding contribution to the film industry.

Another highlight was the Los Angeles premiere screening of “The Mantle,” a short film made by the teenagers during Cinemagic's International Film Camp in Belfast last summer.
[Source: Antrim Guardian]

ARMAGH

Negative publicity surrounding Crossmaglen and the wider south Armagh area, which appeared in some sections of the press recently, has had a serious detrimental effect on the town’s image, a public meeting in the town’s Community Centre heard on Friday, March 22.

The meeting was facilitated by Newry and Mourne District Council in response to concerns from local businesses and the public in an attempt to counteract scurrilous accusations made in print and broadcast media in recent weeks regarding a number of groups and individuals from the area. Specific comments made by a Sunday World journalist linking the area to the murder of Detective Garda (Police Officer) Adrian Donohoe, near Dundalk, in January were particularly deliberate in casting the area in a poor light.
[Source: Examiner Newspaper]

CARLOW

Gardaí (police) in Carlow have arrested a man in his early 20s, following a post-office robbery in Carlow last Wednesday.

The Leighlinbridge post office was robbed just after 12 p.m., when a man on his own entered the building on High Street and threatened a customer with a knife.

No was injured, but the man managed to escape on foot with an amount of cash.

During a follow-up operation a man aged in his 20s was arrested.
[Source: Irish Examiner]

CAVAN

A Belturbet man has been sentenced to serve life in prison for the murder of a Limerick father-of-two in an attack during which he slit his victim’s throat and stabbed him over 40 times.

Gerard Manning (33) of Upper Gerald Griffin Street, in Limerick, originally from Erne Hill, Belturbet, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Martin Purcell (54) on dates between September 28 and 30, 2011.

Manning, who has 115 previous convictions including for firearms offences, possession of knives, domestic violence, endangerment and burglary, was on bail when he carried out the murder.
[Source: The Anglo Celt]
CLARE

Residents in Clarecastle are “living in fear” as feuding factions continue to battle it out in the village.

Last Tuesday night, at approximately 10 p.m., masked men attacked property in Clarecastle, armed with slash hooks and other weapons as terrified neighbors looked on in fear.

The incident lasted “minutes” and the house that was attacked was occupied at the time.

One resident was kept up most of the night with fear due to the feuding. The local said the incident frightened their children and has called for something to be done to remove those involved from the village.
[Source: Clare Champion]

CORK

A number of prominent Irish filmmakers may boycott the Cork Film Festival as a result of the surprise decision by the board to make redundant C.E.O. Mick Hannigan and festival programmer Úna Feely.

Acclaimed filmmakers Lenny Abrahamson, who has made “What Richard Did,” “Garage” and “Adam and Paul,” and Paul Duane, who co-created I.T.V. series “Secret Diary of a Call Girl” and a number of documentaries, have written to the board to express their disgust and that they won’t allow their films to be shown at the festival in future.

Mick Hannigan revealed last Tuesday night that he had been made redundant from the festival he has been in charge of for nearly 30 years.
[Source: Cork Independent]

DERRY

Forensic tests are underway to establish if an overnight fire at a Derry City center bar was arson.

The N.I. Fire and Rescue Service said last Tuesday morning that the blaze at Masons Bar in Castle Street may have been started deliberately.

The proprietors are awaiting the results of police forensic tests to establish the exact cause of the fire that broke out in the early hours.

Despite the damage, which was described as “significant,” the bar owners hoped it was a case of “business as usual” over the weekend.
[Source: Derry Journal]

DONEGAL

Padraig Doogan from Gortahork won $48,000 on Winning Streak on Saturday night, March 23.